Lost Kingdom

by Riku006

Ch6: Transforming Circumstances

As the light from the spell faded, Claire’s mind was a dizzy mess. Her vision was spinning and she had to bring a hand to her temple to relieve the pressure behind it.

“Forgive me.” She heard Skye’s voice say. “The first time one teleports is always slightly nauseating. Are you well?”

Claire nodded and stood up, quickly inspecting her new surroundings. The three of them were now seemingly within a huge cave, the roof of which stretching at least half a kilometre upwards. Around them was a semicircle of dark coloured furniture; a finely crafted wooden wardrobe and matching three-level drawer. On the other side stood a dark office desk and a large ornate mirror. Turning back to check on Dustin, she found he now lay on a larger, circular bed with lavender covers over light blue sheets. Thankfully, it looked like the teleportation had no ill effect on his health, though Claire realised he was still in trouble.

“Now listen carefully,” Skye continued, recapturing Claire’s attention. “I must return to the hospital to remove all trace of the... incident that transpired there, as well as creating a duplicate of Dustin to not raise alarm over his disappearance.

“Once I have finished there I shall return, but until that time you must not move from this bed. Do you understand?” Claire nodded and Skye turned to leave before looking back at her once again. “I almost forgot. There is every chance that you will be approached by... someone very close to me. Although she may appear strange, do not do anything that would anger her. Simply state your name and that I brought you here. Understand?”

Again Claire nodded, but now her curiosity was peaked. “Wait, what do you mean appear strange?”

Before she could ask any more questions Skye turned around once more and vanished in a flash of light, leaving Claire and Dustin alone in the cave. As she stood there, Claire now got a more thorough look at the cave. Although she could see very well, Claire couldn’t find the source of the light around them; like as if the very air itself was lighting up the cavern. The walls of rock were haphazardly dotted with outcrops of large diamonds, which Claire realised must have cost thousands if not millions of dollars.

A sound caught Claire’s attention and she heard it come from Dustin, a small groan of pain as he lay there. A new pang made itself known in her heart. She sat down on the bed’s edge and placed a hand on his forehead, discovering he was still running a fever.

“Oh Dusty.” She sighed, running her hand through his messy brown hair. “How the hell did things get this crazy?” Silence answered her question as she risked another glance at her surroundings before training her eyes back on her friend.

“Who are you?”

The sound of a new voice startled Claire. Slowly, she turned around to face its owner, though what she saw was nowhere near what she was expecting.

Standing before her was a horse or pony, Claire couldn’t be sure which, with a coat as pure white as freshly fallen snow. Its mane and tail flowed ethereally, much Skye’s hair had earlier, and were coloured the varying colours of the morning sky. Other notable features were a long spiralled horn and pristine white wings, as well as a familiar-looking sun emblem on its flank and magenta eyes that now bored into her with a guarded expression.

Claire was so speechless she didn’t reply, which obviously was not the wanted reaction as the large pony moved into a wider stance; wings flared and horn lowered. “I’ll ask only once more. Who are you and why are you here?” Instantly Skye’s instructions came to mind, and though it seemed insane the decision Claire made might determine whether this creature spared them or not. Taking a deep breath, Claire stood up and raised her hands in surrender.

“My name is Claire Neidhart, and this is my friend Dustin Rosewater. We didn’t mean to sneak into your... home, but we were brought here because Dustin’s sick, and we were told this was the only place that could help.” Throughout the entire explanation the pony didn’t move or say a single word, instead waiting for Claire to finish. Once she had, it relaxed its stance and stood looking at her, its temper slightly dampened.

“And who, Claire, brought you here?” It asked in a clearly feminine voice. No sooner had she asked that a light flashed beside Claire and Skye came back into view.

“Alright. Now we can focus on heal-” She trailed off, seeing the visibly irritable mare standing before them. The tension in the air instantly became palpable. Claire didn’t dare say anything, her eyes darting between the now shocked and worried Skye and the mare, whose mane was starting to twitch.

“Little sister,” the mare said, barely holding in the anger that was radiating off of her like the now warming air of the cavern. “Why have you decided to forget our promise and bring humans into our home?” The word was said like as if it left a rotten taste. Questions instantly started queuing up in Claire’s mind, but she held her tongue as she saw Skye flinch under the harsh gaze.

Skye looked at the two teenagers before sighing and taking a deep breath. As she held it, Claire saw Skye become engulfed in light once more, although it burned a bit longer than it had when she teleported. Once the light faded even more questions emerged in Claire’s mind; the most prominent of those being What the fuck?!

Standing in Skye’s place was another mare, similar in build to the white one. This one was different, however, as it stood slightly smaller than its companion, had a navy blue coat and an ethereal mane and tail resembling a clear night sky. On the flank of this horse was a crescent moon against a black splotchy background, and it looked back at its angry companion with Skye’s cerulean eyes.

“Forgive me sister,” it spoke in the government agent’s voice. “But I had no choice. These two were attacked by our enemies, and the boy is infected with-”

“Spare me, Luna!” The white mare snapped. “We made a promise to each other, remember? One where we would never bring humans here, nor would we interact with them outside the D.S.I. Do you remember making that promise?”

“Of course I do-”

“And do you remember what happened the last time we let a human in here? The last time we truly trusted a human?”

“Sister, please.”

“I mean, what were you thinking Luna? You would trust two humans, children no less, than your sister-”

“Tia!” Skye’s pony shouted, flaring its wings to get the others attention. The white mare stayed silent, a tiny bit shocked by the outburst as Claire had been.

“Yes,” Skye started once more. “I know I have broken our agreement, and I will accept a punishment of your choice at a later time. But this boy is dying and I need your help.” The white mare looked past both Skye and Claire at Dustin's now sweating body, the infection now beginning to slowly back into effect.

“Give me one reason why I should help him.”

“What?!” Claire shouted, and was about to give that pony a piece of her mind before being stopped by a navy blue wing. Skye’s equine form gave Claire a glance and shook her head before turning back to the other pony, returning its glare with a determined stare of her own.

“I shall give you three.” She stated as she walked forward, coming face to face with her ‘sister’. “The first is that this boy risked his life to protect me, taking three bullets in my place during the skirmish two nights ago. The second is that he was poisoned by our foes, and with Galm’s Elixir no less.”

This got a reaction from the white mare, her expression changing from angered to surprised. “Galm’s Elixir? But... But that hasn’t existed for eons. Not since the Three Tribes Era, and the only known survivor is said to have been Commander Hurricane himself. How could-”

“I do not know,” Skye went interrupted, “I have tried using healing spells but they have only acted as a temporary reprieve. I need your help in curing him.”

The white mare looked at Dustin’s sweating form once more before turning back to Skye. “You said there was a third reason?”

“Yes. It is that I have never known you to forsake innocents. Especially children.” This softened the look of the white mare, who sighed and walked past Skye towards the bed. Claire, who had been watching silently, now snapped into action, standing between the mare and Dustin with arms outstretched. But the mare just looked at her with that same tired look; like her resistance had been broken by Skye’s argument.

“I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” she said, folding her wings against her side. “I promise you I’ll help save his life.”

“How do I know this isn’t a trick?” Claire asked, still not convinced.

“Because it is not.” Skye said, flanking her sister as she gave Claire the most encouraging smile she could manage.

A groan from behind her forced Claire’s hand, and she sighed as she stepped aside, cursing her being stuck in this position as the two ponies stood next to the bed. Dustin was nearing the same state he was when first injected with the poison, proof the blood Skye injected was beginning to fail.

“What shall we do, my sister?” Skye asked, though the other mare wore a mask of uncertainty as she kept looking at Dustin.

“I don’t know. According to Commander Hurricane’s journals, the only way he survived was by igniting the blood with magic. But doing that to this boy would roast him from within. We need a way to safeguard him from our magic without blocking the spell that cures him.”

“Please,” Claire spoke up, standing on the other side of Skye from the white mare. “You have to try.”

“There might be a way to immunize him,” Skye stated.

“What is it?” Claire asked, desperate for anything that could heal Dustin at this point.

“If we made it so his body was naturally attuned to our magic, then his body would not burn when we attempt to heal-”

“Luna!” The white mare said, horrified of the idea as a little of the anger from earlier returned. “You’re not suggesting a full transformation are you? Do you even remember what happen-”

“Yes sister, I fully remember what happened the last time we tried that spell. But it represents the best chance we have of curing Dustin. Furthermore, once he has fully healed, we can then return him to his original form.”

“What are you two talking about?” Claire asked, but any answer was stalled by Dustin’s body starting to spasm.

“There is no time.” Skye replied as her horn began glowing with the same light blue aura from before. Before she could object, Skye lifted Claire with her magic and placed her a few metres away while she moved to the far side of the bed. “Sister, summon the circle.”

“But Luna, there’s no telling-”

“Tia, there is no time! Either we act or Dustin dies!”

The mare Skye kept calling Tia stole a quick glance at Dustin’s condition before nodding and stomping a hoof on the ground. From that hoof, lights began shining on the ground and took the form of an intricate circle full of shapes and symbols. The circle expanded to encompass the bed and the immediate area around it.

Claire, watching this from where Skye had placed her, was about to run back Dustin’s side before the two mares opened their wings, closed their eyes and concentrated; Skye’s horn glowing blue while the white mares’ shone in a golden hue. A gust of wind materialised out of nowhere as the circle began glowing to match the horns of the two ponies, feeding off of them and releasing more light and wind with each moment.

In the middle of it all, Dustin’s pain-wracked body slowly began hovering, rising up in the centre of the whirlwind. Skye and Tia took wider stances, pouring more and more magic into the circle, which it greedily absorbed. Claire lowered the arm guarding her eyes from the wind to witness three tendrils of turquoise light began snaking their way towards Dustin. She tried to get closer, only for another gust to buffet her harshly, leaving her to fall backwards and merely look on. The lights now began encircling Dustin’s body, forming an ever-shifting cacoon around him. Once it completely encased him, the shell began slowly shrinking, glowing brighter the smaller it became.

“Almost there,” Skye called out, struggling to keep a constant flow of magic to feed the circle. Unlike her sister, Skye had been extensively using her magic recently, more than she’d had to for the longest time. Even though things appeared to be going smoothly, something still felt wrong to Claire. It was a gut feeling that, no matter how much she wished it was wrong, she couldn’t shake away.

And unfortunately, it proved right.

As the spherical cacoon swirled round and round, something caught the eyes of all three of them; a small red spark of electricity near the top of the cacoon. In the time it would take one to blink, the spark released four more bolts down the length of the cacoon before combining into one and shooting down into the ground, breaking the circle and releasing an explosion of light and sound which threw Skye and Tia back.

As the glare died down and Claire pulled herself to her feet, she immediately looked up at where she last saw Dustin and let her jaw slowly drop at the sight.

Floating in place of the magical cacoon was a pony, with a tawny shaded coat and a short mane and tail the same colour as Dustin’s brown hair. Its body was significantly smaller than Skye or Tia, and while it lacked wings it did have the horn of a unicorn. It remained in the air for a few more seconds before falling like a stone, but it was caught in Skye’s aura and laid on his back on the bed.

“Stand clear!” Skye announced as she placed the tip of her horn on the unicorn’s chest and began charging magic inside his blood vessels. She let it spread throughout his body, and as it did she could see the infection’s work in her mind’s eye. Once the majority of his circulatory system was laced with her magic she ignited it, burning away the poison and cauterising the bloodstream at the same time. She feared she was hurting Dustin, as a sluggish groan of pain could be heard. Yet she persisted, burning up all the magic until she was certain all traces of the poison were removed.

Skye stepped away, looking to see that Dustin’s face showed he was sore but wasn’t in continued pain as before. Tia stepped forward and quickly placed her horn on Dustin’s, the two tips emitting bright green light before it dimmed and Dustin’s tired body relaxed.

“Dusty!” Finally given a clear opportunity, Claire dashed towards the side of the bed, worriedly looking at what her friend had become. Nervously, she turned to Skye. “Is... Is he?”

“We’ve done what we can,” Tia answered. “It will take some time for his body to heal, but he should be fine.”

“Thank god.” Claire murmured exhaustedly as she slumped to her knees against the bed.

“However,” Tia continued. “There is the question as to why he became a unicorn. The spell was meant to transform him into an earth pony.”

“I believe it is something we can investigate another time, sister.” Skye interjected, and Tia nodded in agreement before her gaze rested on Claire and Dustin.

“Yes, but there are still things we need to discuss. Claire, you and Dustin may stay here until he is fit to leave. Until that time, you are not to wander off without one of us accompanying you. Is that understood?”

Claire would’ve fought back, but the look Tia was giving her as well as Skye’s resigned look told her to do otherwise. Not only that, but the events of the past hour had drained her, so she simply nodded.

“Good.” Tia stated before turning, spreading her wings and taking off, flying deeper into the caves.

“What’s her problem?” Claire mumbled, not expecting an answer. Skye heard it though and gave her one anyway.

“I apologise. My sister has suffered greatly in the past, and does not have pleasant memories when it comes to human interaction.

“Also.” Skye continued, walking a bit further away from the bed before turning back to face Claire. “I am sorry to have deceived the two of you this whole time. Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Luna, Princess of the Night. The other you met was my elder sister; Celestia, Princess of the Sun. Again, I am sorry for everything. When you feel rested, I will return to answer any questions you will no doubt have for me.” With a bow, the pony now known as Luna took flight following the direction that her sister had taken.

After watching her fly away, Claire sighed and clambered onto the bed, hugging Dustin’s new form and feeling his heart beat; a sure sign he was okay. Slowly but surely, the fatigue took over and Claire fell asleep, hoping to wake up to the reality she had known before this.

~~~

Vince muttered to himself as he waited outside his uncle’s office. Men in uniform occasionally walked past, sometimes trying to start up conversation. But Vince either ignored them or gave short one line answers, clearly indicating he didn’t want to be there right now. The hallway was bland, with white floor tiles and bare walls painted white on the top half and dark green on the bottom. Soon enough, the door he leaned next to opened and he past the man who held it open to take a seat in the slightly more comfortable office chair.

By comparison, the office was much more decorated. A mahogany wooden desk sat in front of Vince, and another black chair sat beside him while a more comfortable black swivel chair sat behind the desk. The walls were a beige colour, rising above the navy blue carpet. On the walls were charts and maps of the city and country, as well as an antique rifle hanging on a rack behind the desk. Next to the door stood a bookcase, full of thick tomes which Vince had never seen moved from there in his life. There wasn’t much on the desk itself; just a closed laptop, a pen or two, a photo frame turned away from Vince’s view and a name plaque reading ‘CDR Joel Selwood’.

The man who held the door open now walked around the desk and sat down, flashing a small smile at Vince. Joel Selwood was forty four years old, had close cut sandy brown hair and a body which saw plenty of gym time. Currently he was wearing a pale blue business shirt, black pants and boots. His only other visually defining trait was the one scar on his face that never fully healed. It started just above the inner edge of his right eyebrow and continued down to near his chin. Despite constant pestering, he never saw fit to get plastic surgery, instead saying it served as a reminder to be ready for any situation.

“So,” Joel began, resting his arms on the desk. “How’s Dustin doing?”

“He’s doing better,” Vince grumbled. “Now please tell me why you dragged me away from him?”

“Oh Vince, talking like that makes you sound like his mother.” Joel laughed. “Or even a lover.” Vince stood up, clearly not amused, but sat back down when his uncle raised his hands, silently telling Vince to calm down.

“And as for why you are here, you’ve been given a temporary holiday. Be aware though that I’ll likely to call you off it early.”

“What?!” Vince yelled, slamming his hands on the desk and not caring if anyone outside heard him. “Why pull me off duty? And why bother doing that when you’re just going to put me back on anyway?”

“It’s because of Friday night,” Joel replied, his tone now less jovial as authority took hold and his gaze hardened. “You failed in your objective and now those two artefacts are lost to the enemy.”

“They aren’t the only possible power fragments,” Vince shot back, not backing down. “Besides, I didn’t know there’d be civilians in the combat area. And I was lucky to survive against that witch.”

“But it was your job to make sure no one other than that witch was present in the building.” Joel retorted, standing to match Vince. “And yes; we may have underestimated her powers, but it is a leader’s job to adapt to a situation.”

“So you’re punishing me for failing. Is that it?”

Joel leaned back and took a deep breath. “I just think you should take it easy. Like you said; you were lucky to keep your head in that battle. I think now would be the best time to take a step back and lay low for now. Once we find another fragment, I’ll let you know.”

Vince sighed, but he did see where his uncle was coming from. Nodding, he gave a quick, informal salute as he moved to the door. “Well, I’ll see you later then.”

“Don’t let this get to you Vince.” Joel said as he sat down, flashing his nephew a reassuring smile. “You’ll get another chance, I promise.” Vince nodded once more and left, closing the door behind him.

Once Vince had left, Joel’s face hardened. Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he quickly dialled the number and waited for an answer. Not for long, though, as the person on the other end picked up after the first ring.

“Sir?” The person asked, waiting for Joel’s order or question.

“Have Astley and Lockwood achieved their objective yet?” Joel asked in a harsher tone than he had used with Vince.

“No Sir.” the voice replied. “We’ve heard no word from them. Should we send another team to find them?”

“No.” Joel said, already imagining what had most likely happened. “We will assume them K.I.A until proven otherwise. Double the efforts of the scanning process. We must find the next fragment before the D.S.I.”

“Yes Sir.” The man replied before hanging up. As Joel did the same, his hand absentmindedly found its way to his scar, slowly tracing its path down his face. Leaning back in his chair, Joel stared at the map of the country; looking at all the red x’s that meant a failed mission and the few blue ticks that meant they were successful. You could count the ticks on one hand.

“Your move, witches.” Joel growled to himself.

Comments

[Riku006]

2386013 Yes, well in chapter 3 Dustin does notice the odd speech, but Skye gives an excuse that she's from somewhere far away, most likely from another country. And considering during the [SPOILERS] ... events in chapter 4 and 5, the people had more important things to worry about, such as [SPOILERS] well, you know.